press

"Under the baton of the Portuguese guest conductor Cesário Costa, the ensemble offered a convincing version of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony. An interpretation with steady hand, striking sound of the brass: trombones, trumpets and tuba. Costa showed a sensitive but efficient stroke in his conduction."

- 03-01, 2014, inEL NORTE MONTERREY

"Cesário Costa conducted the orchestra and the choir with vitality and exuberance, giving fluidity and life to the score, and working each technical and expressive nuance with detail."

- 10-19, 2013, inEXPRESSO

"Cesário Costa conducted with security, verve and with a well balanced dynamic palette these pieces filled with theatricality, stressing the dancing rhythms of La pazza giornata and the ingenious contrasts of La maschera Fortunata."

- 07-07, 2013, inPÚBLICO

"Supporting in a remarkable way and with a secure understanding of the commitment of the two young soloists, it was the flawless direction of Cesário Costa, Portuguese great conductor, also very young: 43 years old. Costa opened the evening with a vigorous and passionate execution of Medea overture by Cherubini and was able to completely capture the spirit of the interpretation of the soloists, giving them a solid support, which was built in an exemplary manner, from the sound balance point of view, with their performance, ensuring a result that excited the audience."

- 05-26, 2013, inGAZZETTA DEL MEZZOGIORNO

"Let’s first point out the excellence of the performance of Orquestra Metropolitana, under the vigorous and secure direction of Cesário Costa, in two highly demanding musical scores: the symphonic poem Don Juan of Richard Strauss and the excerpts of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess."

- 04-18, 2011, inPÚBLICO

"Cesário Costa presented a determined and elegant style. His serene gestures avoided any liberated grandiloquence and the main thing is that musicians satisfactorily answered both in "Opening Symphony No. 3" by his compatriot Joly Braga Santos and in the sensitive version of "Symphony No. 3" by Johannes Brahms.
The Portuguese pull out from the orchestra magnificent sonorities and achieved the beautiful lyrical themes, which proposed the rich melodic vein of the author, to completely stir emotions. The interpretation that Costa gave to the Third Symphony of Brahms could not be more precise. His baton directed the musicians with skill and finesse.
"

- 12-11, 2010, inEL NORTE MONTERREY

"Cesário Costa and the OML presented versions of the works of Freitas Branco and Lacerda highly depured at the level of sound and rhythm, tone colour and dynamics."

- 10-08, 2010, inPÚBLICO

"The Orquestra Sinfónica Metropolitana did an excellent job, at the level of the Stravinsky’s sparkling and frantic score. Cesário Costa designed with precision the complex rhythms of this violent ‘dance-music’ and highlighted the contrasts of the Rite."

- 06-03, 2010, inPÚBLICO

"Great conducting by Cesário Costa.
"

- 07-20, 2009, inPÚBLICO

"Cesário Costa was, once more, the attentive orchestral director of this music so (few) varied as the night."

"The 16 musicians’ chamber ensemble of the Orquestra Metropolitana was very well conducted by Cesário Costa."

- 07-05, 2009, inPÚBLICO

"Cesário Costa continues to assert himself as our best (and most versatile) orchestra conductor"

- 03-29, 2008, inEXPRESSO

"On the other hand, there was nothing negative about the sound production of the Stabat Mater by Carrapatoso: the musicians of the OrchestrUtopica were at their best. The cohesion of the ensemble along with the excellent perception of the details of the texture and the orchestration are due to the care invested in the work by the conductor Cesário Costa."

- 03-23, 2008, inPÚBLICO

"As for the music, the applause goes to the maestro Cesário Costa, for his agile reading of the score. (What a pity they didn’t give him La Clemenza di Tito...)"

- 03-08, 2008, inEXPRESSO

"A difficult piece, well executed by the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted with great know-how by Cesário Costa"

- 01-30, 2008, inJORNAL DE LETRAS

"There is solid music and electronic contributions. As for the rest, there are twenty musicians of the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra (directed by the sure and reliable hand of Cesário Costa)"

"Twelve excellent singers, the conductor Cesário Costa and the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra contributed decisively to the musical and theatrical success of Evil Machines"

- 01-16, 2008, inPÚBLICO

"Cesário Costa’s conducting was rigorous and engaging"

- 12-04, 2007, inPÚBLICO

"The Metropolitan Orchestra had a good notion of sonority, colour and contrasts, revealing the elegance of the work of Cesário Costa, who conducted the singers well."

- 09-23, 2007, inDIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS

"It opened with Elgar’s famous Pomp and Circumstance March, op. 39 n.º 1, in D major, which the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra can play with their eyes closed but to which Cesário Costa managed to add some details of phrasing and distinction."

- 07-04, 2007, inDIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS

"The musical direction of Cesário Costa was both energetic and clear – he was able to get the best out of the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra and the Lisbon Cantat Choir"

- 09-18, 2006, inPÚBLICO

"Conductor Cesário Costa went to great pains to present a sure and empathetic reading of the score (whose text helped) that was aided by the excellent performance of the orchestra, choir and soloists."

- 07-25, 2006, inPÚBLICO

"I cannot finish without referring to the enormous efforts and rhythmic-expressive effectiveness of the conductor Cesário Costa who led the Portuguese Symphonic and the Choir of the São Carlos Theatre."

- 07-24, 2006, inJORNAL DE NOTÍCIAS

"And it was a pleasure to see the engagement of the musicians, so well conducted by Cesário Costa"

"The performance of OrchestrUtopica was indeed excellent, under the direction of its Chief Conductor, Cesário Costa."

- 10-28, 2003, inDIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS

"Under the conductor’s baton of Cesário Costa, the OrchestrUtopica has once again proven its quality."

- 10-14, 2003, inPÚBLICO

"A direcção de Cesário Costa é o garante da coesão"

- 10-14, 2003, inPÚBLICO

"… with the orchestra at its best, under an expressive and emotional conducting of Cesário Costa"

- 09-18, 2002, inPÚBLICO

"Conductor Cesário Costa teered the orchestra easily through a firestorm of a performance…"

- 08-05, 2002, inTHE HERALD

"It is fortunate to have a conductor like Cesário Costa to conduct these pieces with such conviction, verve and involvement"

- 07-30, 2002, inDIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS

"An equally shared success among the music of Frederico de Freitas, the musicians from the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra and conductor Cesário Costa"

- 07-29, 2002, inPÚBLICO

"The Portuguese Symphony Orchestra has performed under the impeccable baton of Cesário Costa, who studied the pieces by Frederico de Freitas with the same seriousness and the same rigour which characterise him when he conducts more contemporary repertoires"

- 07-29, 2002, inPÚBLICO

"Under the musical direction of Cesário Costa, the OrchestrUtopica has offered model versions of all the works in the programme"

- 03-05, 2002, inPÚBLICO

"Conductor Cesário Costa’s best quality is the security with which he embraces a very extensive repertoire"

- 07-25, 2001, inPÚBLICO

"… Under the sober and secure direction of young conductor Cesário Costa"

- 07-21, 2001, inPÚBLICO

"All in all, conductor Cesário Costa had a preponderant role. His committed and precise conducting managed to mobilise and coordinate a numerous group of interpreters, creating a climate of evident empathy with all those young singers"

- 02-11, 2001, inPÚBLICO

"Young conductor Cesário Costa, paying permanent attention to small details, was as discreet as he was efficient. It is fair to say that a great part of the good impression left by this concert, is due to his attitude"

- 06-06, 2000, inPÚBLICO

"At only 29 years of age, Cesário Costa was an authentic revelation for the great public."

- 06-25, 1999, inJORNAL DE NOTÍCIAS

"Young conductor Cesário Costa, as involved as he is discreet, kept throughout the entire concert that safe dose of good taste and good sense, which Helena Sá e Costa recommends for the piano interpretation of Cravo Bem Temperado"

- 01-31, 1999, inPÚBLICO

"Cesário Costa’s conducting was very adequate to the rhythmic level and dynamics and he always managed to “hang on” to the feverish execution that Geringas imposed to its reading"

- 09-23, 1998, inDIÁRIO DE NOTÍCIAS

"Cesário Costa has shown a precise gesture and a remarkable rhythmic control of the orchestra"

- 09-21, 1997, inPÚBLICO

"A great part of what is heard in this orchestra (Musicare) is due to the rigour and respect towards the score, emphasised by conductor Cesário Costa. That understanding of construction, character and musicality was expressed by a fair choice of the tempi and by the concentrated and precise direction"